Mail box



l. R. WENNER Dec. 20, 1932.

MAIL BOX Filed Jan. 29. 1950' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I. R. WENNER Dec. 20, 1932.

MAIL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1930 gwwntoc Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES IRA a. wmmrm, or SYGAMORE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR r0 ALraEn. n. relax, ca pa gns, 0310, AND CHARLES w. WERNER, OFSYCAMORE, OHIO MAIL .nox

Application filed January 29, 1930. Serial No. 424,165.

This invention relates to the art of deposit and collection receptacles and more particularly to a mail box.

In this art considerable difficulty has been ex erienced in providing a convenient and eflidient mail box which can be opened without causing a portion thereof to progect toward the front. In the type of mail box in which a vertical hinged door swings down in front it often happens that the vehicle of the carrier is too close to allow complete opening and for this reason he experiences considerable diificulty in inserting letters or packages. When the box is placed on an arterial highway, it is highly desirable that the carrier get out of the stream of traflic and for that reason often necessarily very close to the box. It is not feasible to have a simple closure in the top of the receptacle to overcome this difiiculty since such a construction would not be consistent with the necessary waterproof characteristics of such a receptacle. Accordingly one of the principal ObJBCtS is to provide a mail box which may be opened even though the carrier should stop his car very close thereto. A further object is to provide such a mail box which will tend to close by gravity, in which the closure will be substantially balanced and in which the closely re-, lated parts will be kept dry so that there will be no danger of the box freezing shut. Other and more specific objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this disclosure, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved mail box; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the receptaclein open position; Fig. 5 is afragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the details of the signal, showing the same in lowered position; and Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings I have shown the mail box mounted on a suitable post 1 to which is attached the bottom 2 of a fixed receptacle portion by any suitable means such as screws (not shown). This receptacle includes in addition to the bottom 2 a rear wall 3 and side walls 4 and 5. QIn one upper edge of the side i wall 5 the metal: thereof is struck out and bent in such a way, as .to' provide. from the metal occupying the notch 7 the outwardly extending flange 8 and the downturned cam-follower the. lower edge of the cover portionimay'rest- The front of'the receptacle portionis open; 1

.Pivoted to the receptacle portion as :by pivots 12 and 13 extendingthrough the walls 4 and 5 is a cover portion having atop wall 15, sidewalls 16 and 17, a rear wall 18 and" a front wall 19$ The front wall 19 is provided witha slot 20 normallygclos'ed by a small pivoted closure 21. At the lower end of the wall 19 is an out-turned lip 22 prOvidedfor use as .a handle to pivot the cover portion about the .pivots12 and 13. It is to be understood that thepivots 12 and 13 are sofpositioned that the weight of the ,cover portion isIsubstantially" balanced, but has sometendency'. to rotate to closed position. Attached:to.. t he wall'17ofthe cover portion as by spot Welding is a cam 25 which consists of-a sheet metal stamping substantially concentric with the pivot 13 but having a cam portion 26 conducted to cooperate, with the follower 9 to hold the cover If it is desired to the rear of the box, the desired balance may be obtained by weighting the cover portion.

I have provided a semiautomatic signal device for indicating whether mail has been 7) which consists of a signal member 30 pivoted to the cover at 31 and having an arm 32 in fixed relation thereto. On the receptacle portion is a lug 33 adapted to cooperate with the arm 32 to hold the signal 30 in elevated z.

position. It will be seen that if the signal 30 is in the position shown in Fig. l and the cover is rotated counterclockwise to open position, the arm 32 will rotate clockwise as the place the pivot 12, 13 near 2;

"5.5 9. Near. the forward end of the-receptacle portion I haveshown a stop 10 againstwhich portion in elevated position.

left in the box (best shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 65 nal will be in the position shown in Fig. 6. 3?;

' pivot 31 .is elevated and before the cover has ".9 V

If it is then desired to place the signal in the position of Fig. 1, it is only necessary to rotate the same clockwise until the arm 32 engages the lug 33.

It will be evident from the foregoing that I have provided a mail box which is simple and sturdy in construction and eflicient in operation and while I have shown and described one modification, I wish it understood that this is only illustrative and that my invention can be carried into practice in many forms within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is I 1. A mail box including, a receptacle por- 'tion, a coverportion secured thereto by pivot means and having flanges extending substantially to the bottom thereof when in closed position, and means cooperating with said pivot means to yieldably hold said cover portion in open position, said last means including a cam attached to the cover portionand a spring cam follower attached to said receptacle portion and cooperating with said cam.-

2. A mail box including, a receptacle portion, a cover portion secured thereto by pivot means and having flanges extending substantially to the bottom thereof when in closed position, and means cooperating with said pivot means to yieldably hold said cover portion in open position, said last means including a cam attached to the cover portion and a spring cam follower attached to said receptacle portion and cooperating with said cam, said spring follower being struck out of the metal of said receptacle portion.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature.

- IRA R. W'ENNER. 

